Database System To Organize Selectable Items For Users Related to Route Planning

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to an electronic system for providing access to a useable, tailored database of selectable items for a user, e.g., user selectable routes entered by pilot users to utilize for flight planning and aircraft route guidance, and other related information from a remote processing center to a local unit over wireless, wire line, or telecommunications network or combination thereof. The disclosure more particularly relates, for example, to an electronic system including one or more remote processing centers and a plurality of local units, e.g., a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, cellular device, or mobile telephone unit, for providing to a pilot&#39;s local unit information of other pilot users from one or more databases, in particular, a pilot user&#39;s route with FAA identifiers (such as airports, VORs, NDBs, waypoints, reporting points, airways, etc.), waypoints, departure airport, destination airport, hazards, FAA VFR sectional and/or IFR airway map for guidance, pilot comments, and other information which has been calculated and/or stored at one or more remote processing centers in response to a query or selection request received from a local unit operated by an pilot user, for example.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional Patent Application No. 61/961,739 filed Oct. 21, 2013, entitled, “Database System To Organize Selectable Items For Users Related to Route Planning,” and the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

In the field of aviation and general aviation—unless a pilot restricts him or herself to flying locally at a departure airport—a pilot operates an aircraft to fly from a departure airport, such as the pilot's home airport, to a destination airport along a route selected by the pilot. Many times, for example, a general aviation pilot may have a destination airport in mind but the flight required is beyond the local area of a pilot's home airport, e.g., beyond 50 nautical miles. In such case, the pilot may be unfamiliar with the route and/or destination airport. Other times a pilot may not even have a destination airport in mind and may desire to fly to a new destination airport previously un-flown route. For example, the term “hundred-dollar hamburger” is slang in aviation for an excuse a general aviation pilot might use to fly to a new or a known destination airport. Such a flight typically involves flying a short, or sometimes long, distance to a destination airport, stopping and eating a meal at an airport restaurant, and then flying back to the pilot's home airport. The term originally referred to the approximate cost of renting or operating a light general aviation aircraft, such as a Cessna 172, to fly round-trip to a nearby airport. E.g., http://en.wikipedia.org/wild/$100_hamburger, and contents therein.

Whether a pilot has a known destination airport, a new destination airport in mind, or has not yet chosen a destination airport for a flight, the pilot is required to conduct flight planning prior to each flight according to Federal Aviation Regulations (“FARs”). For example, FAR 91.103 says: “Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. This information must include: (a) For a flight under IFR or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if the flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC; (b) For any flight, runway lengths at airports of intended use, and the following takeoff and landing distance information: (1) For civil aircraft for which an approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual containing takeoff and landing distance data is required, the takeoff and landing distance data contained therein; and (2) For civil aircraft other than those specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, other reliable information appropriate to the aircraft, relating to aircraft performance under expected values of airport elevation and runway slope, aircraft gross weight, and wind and temperature.” In flight planning, a pilot selects a route to the destination airport with appropriate waypoints or airways. The pilot, among other things: calculates the amount of fuel required to complete the trip; checks for compliance with air traffic control requirements; checks for clearance from terrain and structures near takeoff and landing areas; considers potentials for mid-air collisions; and avoids restricted or prohibited areas of flight and the like. In addition to these hazards issues, a pilot making a flight plan may attempt to minimize overall flight costs by selecting the most efficient route, height, and speed for the aircraft type and sometimes seek to load the minimum necessary fuel, plus a safety reserve, on board, to maximize flight efficiencies. For flights having a longer duration, fixed base operators (“FBOs”) having disparate prices for aviation fuel for sale to pilots are utilized at airports along the way.

Since the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, pilots may desire direct routes for certain flights. Quite often, however, there are factors that should be considered that may make a direct flight undesirable. Mountainous terrain, restricted airspace, prohibited airspace, military operating areas (“MOAs”), and temporary flight restrictions (“TFRs”), for example, present obstacles to direct flights. In single-engine aircraft, pilots should give consideration to circumnavigating large, desolate areas or large bodies of water. Pilots should also consider the single-engine service ceiling of multiengine aircraft when operating over high altitude terrain since the terrain elevation may be higher than the single-engine ceiling of the multiengine aircraft being flown, e.g., a multiengine aircraft with a single-engine service ceiling of 6,000 feet cannot fly a route with terrain at 9,000 feet elevation. Precise flight planning of log items, such as pre-computed courses, time, distance, navigational aids, and frequencies to be used will make enroute errors in these items less likely. Special attention should be given to fuel requirements, keeping in mind the need for an ample reserve as well as location of refueling points available as the preflight progresses. A booklet known as the Airport/Facility Directory, published by the National Ocean Service, lists airports, seaplane bases, and heliports open to the public, as well as communications data, navigational facilities, and certain special notices such as parachute jumping, Flight Service Station (“FSS”)/National Weather Service (“NWS”) telephone numbers, preferred routes, and aeronautical chart bulletins. In addition, pilots should check with the nearest FSS for an update on the latest Notices to Airmen (“NOTAMs”). Pilots should avail themselves of all appropriate charts and publications, including the Airman's Information Manual (“AIM”) and NOTAMs. A weather briefing is an important part of preflight planning. An overview of the synoptic situation and general weather conditions can be obtained from public media (radio, TV, etc.) or by telephone from recorded sources to help the pilot to better understand the overall weather picture when obtaining a complete briefing from a FSS. Information on weather sources is contained in the Meteorology chapter of the AIM, available from faa.gov. For example, accurate weather forecasts are desired to allow for accurate fuel consumption calculations based on effects of head or tail winds and air temperature. Aircraft flying IFR in controlled airspace may be required to follow predetermined routes known as airways, even if such routes are not as economical as a more direct flight. Additionally, the performance of each different aircraft type varies based on altitude, air pressure, temperature and weight. When attempting to formulate an efficient flight plan, one quickly discovers that a large number of decisions and calculations are required in order to formulate an effective flight plan. Many flight plans follow routes at available altitudes which have the most favorable current or forecast weather conditions. However, sometimes these are not the most efficient routes under varying circumstances. Flight planning will benefit from accurate and up-to-date information share by other pilots.

In addition to a pilot performing flight planning prior to a flight, a pilot (or a flight's dispatcher or controller) may or may not file a flight plan document (in paper or electronic form) with the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) or with a foreign civil aviation authority. When used, these flight plan documents typically are filed (via in person, electronically or telephone) prior to the flight's departure from the departure airport, although a pilot may file a flight plan in flight as well via radio. A flight plan in the United States generally includes departure date, time, and a departure and a destination airport, and a route, including any waypoints with proper FAA identifiers. In addition, a flight plan includes the aircraft identification or registration (a.k.a. the aircraft's tail number, for example, “N56783”) and aircraft type (e.g., “TOBA” for a Socata TB200 aircraft), an estimated time enroute, a listing of alternate airports for use in the event of bad weather, the type of flight (either instrument flight rules (“IFR”) or visual flight rules (“VFR”), pilot's name, and the number of persons on board the aircraft. For IFR flights, flight plans are used by air traffic control to initiate tracking and routing services. For VFR flights, their only purpose is to provide needed information should search and rescue operations be required, or for use by air traffic control when flying in a “Special Flight Rules Area.” In the United States, flight plans are required for all flights flown under IFR. After an IFR flight plan is activated and an IFR clearance (and an IFR release if necessary) is obtained from air traffic control, air traffic control may initiate radar tracking and routing services for the aircraft either under its flight number or aircraft registration that was provided in the flight plan. For VFR flying, a pilot is not required to file a flight plan with the FAA unless the flight's path will cross national borders. Flight plans are recommended for VFR flights because they provide a way of alerting rescuers if the flight is overdue at its destination airport, and they can enable a service known as “flight following” that utilizes ATC radar to warn of other nearby air traffic enroute. Pilots flying VFR routes, however, do not commonly file flight plans.

The prior art includes known means for pilots to obtain information about new airport destinations, or to obtain information used to perform flight planning but such prior art systems are limited. For example, a simple means is that known as “hangar flying.” This term originated from the hangar building where aircraft are maintained or stored. Starting from the early days of flying, when the weather was poor for example, local pilots sat around a coffee pot and talked about flying. The topics of these informal gatherings ranged from regulations, techniques, flight instruction, and flying in general. Pilots may discuss flights he or she has taken. In addition, a pilot may utilize folding paper navigational charts on which a pilot can mentally review his or her intended route of flight. The pilot may draw a line on the chart representing the true course, and review the projected path across the face of the chart for the location of good checkpoints, restricted areas, obstructions, other flight hazards, and suitable airports. For VFR flight, pilot planning by either pilotage or dead reckoning may be done utilizing a chart known as the Sectional Aeronautical Chart, which is scaled at 1/500,000, or 8 miles to the inch. The physical characteristics of most landmarks are shown in detail and the pilot identifies selected landmarks along the route of flight. Another chart is the World Aeronautical Chart (“WAC”), with a scale of 1/1,000,000, or 16 mile to the inch. Many U.S. states print also aeronautical charts for VFR navigation within their state boundaries. E.g., http://aystop.com/technical/preflight/preflight.htm.

A sectional chart is a two-sided chart created from a Lambert Conformal Conic Projection with two defined standard parallels. The scale is 1:500,000, with a contour interval of 500 feet. The size of each sectional is designed to be “arm's width” when completely unfolded. The “northern” half of the section is on one side of the chart, and the “southern” on the obverse. The edges between north and south are designed with a calibrated overlap that permits plotting extensions of course lines from one side to the other, once the user has scribed a corresponding “match line” on each side. All other edges are truncated at a predetermined size. White space around the chart is filled with map information and the legend, scales, and tables of airport and airspace information. Terrain is color-coded for its elevation and major roads, cities, and bodies of water are shown for visual reference, as well as other identifiable structures (e.g., stadiums and water towers). However, most of the layers of data on the charts include specific information about obstacles, airspace designations, and facility information (locations, radio frequencies, etc.). The legend divides these into several types of information, namely: airports, radio aids, traffic and airspace services, obstructions, topographic, and miscellaneous. Other unusual features may be designated on the map with symbols that do not appear in the legend, such as areas where laser lights are routinely pointed into the air (a jagged-edged circle), or a wildlife protection area (a solid line with dots along the inside edge). The location of each airport and presence of control towers is indicated with a circle, or with an outline of the hard-surfaced runways (if over 8,069 feet long). Blue shows an airport with a control tower and magenta for others. Military airstrips (without hard-surface runways) are shown with two concentric circles. Private airports are shown with the letter “R” inside a circle. A heliport is designated with “H” in a circle. An unverified airstrip is shown with a “U” in a circle. An abandoned airport with paved runways is shown with a circle having an “X” over it.

The prior art also includes general reference to electronic means related to aircraft flights, such as U.S. Pat. No. 8,266,547 which relates to a graphical user interface for a travel planning system. U.S. Pat. No. 8,521,342 relates to a system, a method and a computer program for recording technical issues of an aircraft, for use during flight tests on board of the aircraft. A client unit sends an access request to a server, which receives and processes this request, permits access to the data and restricts the adding or modifying processing of the data to one client unit at a time. U.S. Pat. No. 7,779,023 relates to an internet website which presents a hierarchical menu structure to users includes a personalization engine to automatically modify the menu structure for each user. U.S. Pat. No. 7,668,744 relates to a fleet engine, a crew engine, a passenger engine and an integration engine that communicate with a distributed computer network via two-way communication channels to monitor and repair disruptions to schedules particularly in the airline industry. When a disruption occurs, the method will produce a plurality of solutions that are structurally different for evaluation by the controller or operations manager. U.S. Pat. No. 7,786,899 relates to flight tracking and a computer-implemented system where a plurality of flight information is received over a digital network and is stored in at least a database. The database includes aviation information as well as aviation related content and advertisements. In addition, the user may create personalized messages and status update for display in response to a variety of flight conditions. For example, a user is able to select a set of flights from a set of flights scheduled for arrival/departure from a designated airport/facility that typically are not regularly scheduled commercial flights. A customized display is then presented on a monitor operated by the user which presents the information in a value added format that is triggered or sequenced based on flight tracking data. Value added information can include an automatic instruction for the line crew to get the fuel truck, or for the ground transportation services to be called, as a condition of the estimated time of arrival. Similarly, it can include advertisements related to the flight information such that some advertisements are shown only before arrival and others only after arrival or shortly before departure.

In addition, electronic systems have been developed which provide flight planning and navigational information to a pilot but such prior art systems are also limited. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,380,366 simply concerns an apparatus having a graphical touch screen for flight planning and navigation of an aircraft by a pilot. U.S. Pat. No. 8,185,298 relates to hybrid-heuristic optimization of competing portfolios of flight paths for flights through one or more sectors of an airspace represented by an air traffic system. In addition, there are electronic systems which are generally accessed by users from local computers via a telecommunications network, such as cellular telephone, wired telecommunications, short-range wireless, or a combination thereof. Such systems sometimes are known as flight planning tools, and are accessible through well-known commercial providers of flight planning information for general and commercial aviation navigation such as Foreflight, flightaware.com, airnav.com, duats.com, or skyvector.com, for example. A course line may be provided by skyvector.com, for example, to a user in the form of a line generated by a computer on electronic navigational charts. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 8,447,512 relates to a process for generating computer flight plans on the Internet with the elements of: a raw XY&Z database of chart data, a database containing aircraft data, a software system to create VFR, IFR and road charts, an Internet web site accessible by a client computer, a software system which computes flight plans requested by the client computer, a software system which allows for navigation data and aircraft editing by means of the Internet web site client computer, and a software system which allows for outputting flight plans by means of the Internet web site client computer. These systems, however, are limited in the information they may provide a pilot trying to select a new destination airport, or trying to determine a practical route to fly as recommended by other pilots familiar with the route and/or destination airport, for example. Also, such electronic systems do not disclose or teach a database created by utilizing routes selected for sharing with pilot users by other pilot users, linking pilot user comments to a displayed route, e.g., relating to hazards, terrain, obstacles, favorites, or permit interactive discussion by pilots of a displayed route, for example.

Also, for example, prior art U.S. Pat. No. 8,214,144 of Flightaware relates to a computer-implemented system and method for the processing and optimization of flight plans. Information regarding a plurality of previous flight plans is received over a digital network and is stored in at least a database. The database preferably includes aviation fuel price information, aircraft performance information, and aviation weather information as well. Upon receiving a request, a server generates at least an optimized portion of a flight plan. In one form, historical flight plan data of others is automatically used to aid in a computer determination of the optimized route offered to the user for review, with the resulting final flight plan being electronically filed with the FAA upon approval. In a further form, the user may arrange fuel transactions at intermediate destinations with the service provider receiving a fee in exchange for facilitating the transaction. This prior art system, however, does not disclose or teach a database created by utilizing routes selected for use by other pilot users, linking pilot user comments to a displayed route, or permit interactive discussion by pilots of a displayed route, for example. Also, for example, this prior art system utilizes an unintelligent database, e.g., it utilizes a database made indiscriminately from all filed flight plans (including those amended enroute by FAA changes) and radar followed aircraft for any given period of time such as a day or any fraction or multiplier thereof (which could include thousands or tens of thousands of flight plans), and/or calculates an optimized route for the flight based upon aircraft performance data, available fuel costs, and current or forecast aviation weather. Such a structure is not particularly useful for airport destination selection and route selection by a pilot.

Also, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,296,281 of Flightaware relates to a computer-implemented system and method processes flight position information and provides a notification to a remote user in response to a triggering event. Typically, flight position data is received over a digital network. The service accepts requests for notification based upon the position of a specified flight and subsequently provides that notification based upon the flight position data. Upon receiving a user query, a server retrieves a result set from the flight position data and determines if the triggering criteria has been met. In one form, the requested notification may be presented to the user in the form of an e-mail, telephone call, text message or the like. Also disclosed is a system for flight tracking or planning which includes photographs supplied by remote users of the aircraft for which the tracking or planning is associated, for use by other remote users that see the association of the supplied photos with the tracked or planned flight. Also disclosed is a social system for use with flight tracking or planning which allows affiliated users to share information to the exclusion of other non-affiliated users.

The system of the '281 patent and other similar prior art systems however, are limited. For example, information is accessible by aircraft registration or flight number not by pilot user or pilot identifier. In addition to the above shortcomings, the database of information is not intelligently built, for example. As discussed in the '281 patent, the FAA made a wealth of minute-by-minute flight-tracking information available for distribution to the public with the creation of the Aircraft Situation Display to Industry (“ASDI”) service, staring in 1995. Through this service, with the exception of a request by an owner or operator to block particular aircraft, flight tracking data is made available to several vendors who are subsequently able to provide information in a value-added format to their subscribers or other users. The ASDI information includes location, altitude, airspeed, origin, destination, estimated time of arrival and tail number or designated identifier of air carrier and general aviation aircraft operating on at least the corresponding IFR flight plans within U.S. airspace. General aviation VFR flights that include air traffic control flight following are often included. Traditional subscribers include flight departments, charter operators, limousine firms, airframe and power plant manufacturers, air carriers, FBOs, research firms, and other users. For example, without ASDI information an aircraft service provider may not reliably know much in advance as to when food service or fuel would need to be delivered for incoming flights, so as to give its employees time to prepare just enough in advance as to have the food at the right temperature and condition, and the fuel truck in position, at the appropriate time, but with a minimum of waiting. In a similar manner, a casual user could not receive reliable advance notification as to when to leave to go to the airport to meet or pick up someone from an arriving flight so that neither would need to wait on the other. With the advent of this structure, a number of subscribers and other users were able to obtain valuable flight information and increase the efficiency and reliability of their services. This prior art system, while describing accessing information from remote users, does not teach or describe the novel and inventive system disclosed herein. For example, this prior art system instead discloses users only supplying what it calls “content segments” associated with a geographic location; these “content segments” are not routes of flight of a user, waypoints, or even comments on such a route of flight, but are disclosed only as reviews of an FBO, reviews of a caterer, or reviews of a limousine provider located on or servicing a selected airport, or information regarding an entity similar to an FBO, caterer or limousine provider; for routes of flight this system is tied and limited to a database of routes of flight built up en masse from the ASDI service.

In addition to shortcomings previously discussed, because these prior art electronic systems rely upon a database built up, e.g., en masse from the ASDI service or other similar sources, the database of information is not intelligently built or selective in the routes retained in its databases, and accordingly can be both over-inclusive and under-inclusive in their dataset of flight plans and/or routes of other pilots. Such shortcomings, for example, greatly limit their usefulness for a pilot desiring information for a new destination airport and desiring information for a new, previously unknown route to a destination airport. For example, these prior art electronic systems do not necessarily provide access to historical routes for entire trips, only routes for what is filed or provided by the FAA or ASDI service. A pilot (dispatcher or controller), for example, may file a flight plan with the FAA for an airport that is only intermediate to his or her destination, then fly another leg to the destination airport. Also, a pilot my file a flight plan, e.g. IFR flight plan, for one leg, but fly VFR and not file a flight plan for a second, third or final leg. Or a pilot may fly to a destination airport solely VFR and file no flight plan (or obtain no radar flight following) at all. A system with a database such as that built from the ADSI service will not account for these omissions, and does not concern itself with such flights because it was not designed by the FAA for that purpose—it only includes those flights for which IFR flight plans are activated and tracked and/or for VFR flights the receive flight following. On the other hand, an equally vexing shortcoming is that such a prior art system then includes, robotically, without selection, all such flights in its database. Because prior art electronic systems are automatic, robotic in their collection of data from FAA databases or the like, these systems do not know that multiple flight plans may be involved in a pilot's route to a destination airport, nor will such systems know whether the collected flight plan is only an incomplete part of a route. Likewise, for these prior art electronic systems, if a flight does not have a filed flight plan or radar flight following, the flight's route does not get collected into the prior art electronic systems database, e.g., because the flight's route is not in the FAA's data. Such a prior art system may include another pilot's destination airport and route information without such pilot having even used such system or even knowing that it has been collected en masse for inclusion in a database.

Other prior art electronic systems provide a pilot only limited information, such as through a basic message board. Still other prior art systems, such as socialflight.com and adventurepilot.com, provide event or e.g. restaurant, airport or point of interest information, listed or displayed on an automobile or other non-aviation type map. While such systems identify a destination with airport identifiers and reader comments on a destination, they do not provide access by a pilot user to route information with FAA (or ICAO) waypoints, airway identifiers that have been selected by other pilot users, or access to route information of other pilot users linked to a destination attraction, or access to pilot information, route comments by other pilot users. Also, for example, even this basic information is cumbersome to use because these systems permit users who are not pilots to select information for inclusion in the database, creating a system that is an advertising billboard rather than a useful database of destinations linked with route information (nor pilot discussion of route information, hazards, altitudes, waypoints, etc.) of other pilot users for an pilot user.

In addition, such systems are not structured to provide routes or useful route information, and can be nearly useless for flight planning, or even hazardous for flight planning. For example, such systems can provide a user a list of destinations that are over 500 or more nautical miles away from a desired airport, regardless if another pilot has flown to that destination from an pilot's desired departure (e.g. home) airport; and in any event the database is not structured for entry by other pilots of route waypoints, route information, hazards, airspace or altitude information, for example. Included destinations are not selected for database entry dependent on a particular departure airport (e.g., your home airport), or with regard to a particular route of another pilot, or whether another pilot has even flown to such destination from your airport. An imaginary line on a map to a destination airport is generated by a query to a computer, e.g., by adventurepilot.com, as a route rather than a route selected and actually flown by another pilot, for example. This imaginary route can depict a line through restricted airspace, over miles of water, or into hazardous terrain, e.g., through mountainous terrain, that exceeds the flight capability of an aircraft rendering it useless for flight planning. As a result, such systems are cumbersome to use, and are unreliable, very limited or even hazardous in assisting a pilot user in considering flight destinations, e.g., for cross country flight, and do not add to flight planning safety or ease of mind. In addition to the above shortcomings, such systems do not allow access to pilot user logbook information or provide tail number information, for example.

Prior art systems and their shortcomings do not obviate the need of a pilot to start from scratch, so to speak, every time a general aviation pilot desires to select a new airport destination and select a new route related thereto, with linked pilot comments on route, destination, etc. Other aspects of such prior art systems add to their limits and inconvenience if used. These systems are difficult for a user to access and collect information for flight planning, for example, because the systems do not carry the desired information in its database, or if it is in a database it is obscured by other information. Because the systems are discrete, they do not include all components, including the route, new airport destination, attraction, other pilot comments, or selective building of a database. Therefore, there is a need for a routing and information system that continually provides access to up-to-date, correct geographic information by a local user. There is a further need for a routing and information system which can be implemented on handheld, portable devices for easy, convenient transportation and use. There is a further need for a routing and information system which is independent of any particular hardware configuration and which may be implemented on any suitably equipped data processing apparatus, such as a desktop personal computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant, tablet computer or mobile telephone computer. There is a further need for a routing and information system which provides communication between mobile units and a base unit over any available channel, including wireless, wireline, and optical channels. There is a still further need for a data communication protocol for providing accurate, reliable communication in such a system, independent of hardware configuration and in a compact form.

These prior art systems have many drawbacks, however, which have prevented widespread use as a tool by general aviation pilots to aid them in selecting airport destinations and routes. Information is discrete to a site or system and unlinked to other information and, even if available, is only potentially available after a cumbersome search of multiple sites or systems, and what information is available is cluttered and unorganized, based on a gross collection of data rather than pilot user selected data, and many times directed only to needs of commercial airline operators and operations rather than general aviation pilots. The present disclosure solves these shortcomings as well as other problems that pilots face when collecting flight information from other pilots, particularly related to airport destinations, routes and attractions. The present disclosure solves a number of these inefficiencies as well as other problems present in the process of flight planning, as are illustrated in the descriptions that follow.

SUMMARY

The invention and embodiments thereof relate generally to an electronic system for providing access to a useable database of selectable items for a user, e.g., user selectable routes entered by pilot users to utilize for flight planning and aircraft route guidance, and other related information from a remote processing center to a local unit over wireless, wire line, or telecommunications network or combination thereof. The invention and embodiments thereof more particularly relate, for example, to an electronic system including one or more remote processing centers and a plurality of local units, e.g., a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, cellular device, or mobile telephone unit, for providing to a pilot's local unit information of other pilot users from one or more databases, in particular, a pilot user's route with FAA identifiers (such as airports, VORs, NDBs, waypoints, reporting points, airways, etc.), waypoints, departure airport, destination airport, hazards, FAA VFR sectional and/or IFR airway map for guidance, pilot comments, and other information which has been calculated and/or stored at one or more remote processing centers in response to a query or selection request received from a local unit operated by an pilot user, for example. In addition, one or more databases of stored destination airport, departure airport, route, attraction, FBO information, fuel information, hazards, weather, altitude, route information, and/or one or more other pilots' comments on route and other information, etc. or combination thereof is intelligently built up for storage at one or more remote processing centers via pilot users selectively transmitting data, e.g., departure airport, destination airport, route information, from local units via wireless, wire line, or telecommunications network or combination thereof for inclusion in one or more databases to allow creation of relevant, useful, understandable information for other pilot users, for example.

In addition, an electronic system and information of other pilot users selectively transmitted and stored in one or more databases of the present invention can be organized for viewing on a local unit in an organized, easy to follow and navigate format, for example, permitting a pilot operating a local unit to seek an airport destination, related route, route information and/or commentary based on country, region, state, province, or departure airport, or name or personal identifier of another pilot user. In addition, an electronic system of the present invention can provide a list of current pilot users of the system, those who have accessed the system that day, and other statistics of pilot users such as total number of routes submitted, recent number of routes submitted, popular routes of the day, month or year, e.g., organized by state, departure or destination airport, for example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the embodiments described herein, and each of the figures, are provided as examples and for the purpose of illustration and description only and they and use of the terms such as “the invention” or “the present invention” are not intended as a definition of the limits of the scope or embodiments of the disclosure of this invention. The priority application or any changes or differences, including any typographical or grammatical changes, between the present disclosure and priority U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/958,123 should not be read to limit or impair the scope of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a block type diagram of an electronic system including a network according to one example embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example entry form display of a unit for a pilot user utilized in an electronic system according to one example embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram for an example entry of route information by a pilot user.

FIG. 4 illustrates a sample display of a unit for accessing information from a database of routes and linked information.

FIG. 5 illustrates a second sample display of a unit for accessing information from a database of routes and linked information.

FIG. 6 illustrates a third sample display of a unit for accessing information from a database of routes and linked information.

FIG. 7 illustrates a fourth sample display of a unit for accessing information from a database of routes and linked information.

FIG. 8 illustrates a fifth sample display of a unit for accessing information from a database of routes and linked information.

FIG. 9 illustrates a sixth sample display of a unit for accessing information from a database of routes and linked information.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of understanding of the principles of the invention, reference is made to embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language used to describe the same. It is understood, however, that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described example embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the disclosure as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Currently, a general aviation pilot attempting to select a new airport destination and to select an associated route, perform flight planning to a new airport destination, particularly for VFR flight, is a time consuming, burdensome, and inefficient process. Pilots have to choose new airport destinations, plan their own routes without the insight of other pilots, or use word-of-mouth methods to determine recommended flight routes, waypoints, hazards, and the like. While certain flight plans of aircraft tail numbers filed with the FAA can be obtained and searched through electronic systems, searching these systems can be as or even more cumbersome than planning a flight route from scratch. As stated in the prior art, on any given day, more than 87,000 flights take to the skies in the United States, for example. Only 35 percent, or just over 30,000, of those flights are commercial carriers, such as American Airlines, United, or Southwest. The majority of the remaining flights, roughly 50,000, are general aviation flights and air taxi flights, with the remaining being either military or cargo aircraft. While each of these daily flights is not required to submit a flight plan, a substantial portion of them do; accordingly, any database that relies on collecting such daily FAA data en masse, rather than, for example, utilizing pilot recommended and selected airport destinations and linked recommended and selected routes, actually flown by another pilot, and pilot comments, suffers from the proverbial finding of a needle in a haystack, for example. In addition, such prior art systems do not collect other potentially relevant routes, for example, un-filed VFR routes. And, even were such information found by a pilot it is unlinked to the comments and recommendations of the pilot who flew the route and who desires to fly it as a new airport destination and route, or concerns aircraft types, altitudes, and/or routes of little use to other pilot users. Until the present invention, an electronic system allowing a pilot user to find a list of new airport destinations recommended and selected by other (local or remote) pilots, with recommended and selected routes by other pilots, and linked comments by other pilots have been unknown, and finding such information has been impossible to obtain in a useful or usable manner. Another advantage of the present disclosure is that the structure of the system is more likely to encourage pilot use of the system, encourage pilot sharing of flight planning information, encourage pilot interest in new flying destinations which he or she otherwise would not be aware or have considered, and enhance flying safety for pilot users.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a multi-site electronic system of one embodiment of the present invention, providing an overall structure of an example embodiment according to the present invention. A plurality of pilot users utilizes local units 10 to access a remote processing center 100 via telecommunications network 200. Depicted are local units in a form of handheld mobile devices 10 a, 10 b and 10 c. One or more of these units could alternatively be in a form of a desktop unit, a laptop, or other portable unit, for example. Local units 10 include a display, memory for retention of information, processing circuitry, one or more input means for a user, power supply, and telecommunications interface. A handheld unit 10 a preferably may comprise a combined display and input means in a form of eight to ten inch LCD capacitive, active matrix touchscreen, memory including 64 GB solid state, flash type storage, a dual-core 1 GHz processor and related chipsets programmed with an operating system, removable rechargeable Li-On or Li-Po battery, and telecommunications interface in a form of GSM, CDMA, EDGE, HSDPA, LTE 700, GPS and/or 802.11 radio chipsets and related antenna, or combination thereof, for example. Also depicted is a local unit in a form of an aircraft, 10 d, wherein one or more devices within the aircraft comprise components to transmit to and receive information from remote processing center 100 via telecommunications network 200, for example, a panel or yoke mounted device with a display, memory for retention of information, a touchscreen interface for a pilot user, and a connection to an antenna for wireless communication, such as via satellite. Telecommunications network 200 can be considered comprised of multiple or single networks, for example network 200 can comprise telecommunications network 200 a or 200 b, wired and/or wireless connections 10 d, 10 e, 10 f, 10 g, 200 d, 100 d, 100 e or 100 f, or combination thereof. Preferably telecommunications network 200 comprises a public telecommunications network permitting wireless communication of data, for example, via satellite, GSM, EDGE, CDMA, or 802.11 protocols, or combination thereof. Alternatively, telecommunications network 200 comprises wired network, for example, PTN, cable and/or DSL connections, in addition to or in lieu of wireless communication.

Also depicted is remote processing center 100 which comprises one or more network interfaces 100 a, and one or more database processors, e.g., 100 b, 100 c. A database processor 100 a, for example, comprises network interface 20 a that may be utilized in lieu of or in addition to network interface 100 a, storage 20 b, 20 c, and process circuitry 20 d. A database processor 100 a comprises one or more intelligent databases, e.g., maintained in storage 20 b and/or 20 c, accessible by a user of one of units 10 via telecommunications network 200 and wired and/or wireless connections, e.g., 10 g, 100 e. A database processor 100 a may comprise one or more computers comprising programming arranged to fetch and deliver content for display, to a unit 10, in response to a request for content transmitted from a unit 10 to such one or more computers, e.g., via telecommunications network 200, utilizing an appropriate address and transfer protocol, e.g., a locator, for delivering such content. In addition, a database processor 100 a may comprise one or more computers comprising programming arranged to receive content from units 10, e.g., via telecommunications network 200, utilizing an appropriate address and transfer protocol for receiving such content, e.g., transmitted from a unit 10 subsequent to a transfer of content from a remote processing center, e.g., in response to a request for content transmitted from a unit 10 to such one or more computers, for example to build up an intelligent database. Preferably, one or more database processors can handle multiple, e.g., hundreds or thousands, of requests and/or transmissions via units 10 at any given time. Remote processing center 100 also may utilize a mechanism for temporary storage of content requested by units 10 to reduce lag time and/or loading of the electronic system in providing content to units 10, for example. In addition, remote processing center 100 may also comprise administrator access to administer, control, maintain, and/or correct one or more databases via direct access, e.g., to a database processor or via telecommunications network 200, for example utilizing a unit 10, or alternatively may be part of database processor 100 a and/or 100 b, or separate. Remote processing center (or multiple remote processing centers) and/or database processor (or multiple remote processing centers), for example, could be provided by a same computer or varying other arrangements of computers at one or more physical locations and still be within the spirit of the invention. In an alternative embodiment, farms of dedicated computers, a single proprietary system, and/or a storage area network could also be provided to support specific features. An example database processor comprises a relational database, such as SQL, as is known to one of skill in the art, for example. Network interface 100 a may communicate with a database processor via connections 20 h, 20 j, 100 d, 100 e and/or 100 f, or combination thereof, which may be wired and/or wireless, for example.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of an input display of a unit 10 for a pilot user utilized to build up a database of an example embodiment of the present invention. This illustration provides an example of an input scheme to build an intelligent database for use by data processor 100 b depicted in FIG. 1 for an example embodiment according to the present invention. Such a database also could be located in data processor 100 c or distributed among multiple data processors and/or computers. An intelligent database is built, for example, by utilizing certain parameters in this example embodiment, by providing to pilot users an easy to understand data entry form that also requires the pilot user to enter certain required information in addition to entering a route utilizing coded identifiers. In addition, by requiring that users are pilots registered with their respective country's aviation authority (for example, the FAA's Airmen Registry of registered pilot certificates in the United States) it greatly increases likelihood that useful information, particularly useful route information is entered into a database, rather than, e.g., information entered for advertising by non-pilot users who have never planned and flown to an airport destination, for example. Rather than solely relying on second-hand information from other databases, for example, the one or more databases of the example embodiment will be a purpose built system where destination airports, routes, and related information, etc. are selected and built by pilot users for sharing and comment. In addition, comments of pilot users, e.g., are linked to each entered route, for example. In addition, the system can have an option for a pilot user to send a selected route and related information from a flight planning tool to system for entry into database, for example. A pilot user also can use an entry form of a unit 10 in an example embodiment to link or embed still or moving pictures in connection with a route, for example.

As depicted in FIG. 2 in this example embodiment, organization of information for stored pilot user routes focuses on a more limited number of items in one place, unlike prior art items. The sample display 30 includes a top menu 30 a through 30 g for a pilot user to select from other displays of the system in this embodiment. Also shown, as will be discussed further below, is a menu 30 v with selectable items showing each of the fifty states and territories of the United States. To share a new route with other pilot users, a pilot user selects menu item “share new route” 30 d and display 30 with form 30 h is presented, for example. Available to a pilot user are specific, blank entry boxes for inputting information to assist in building an intelligent database at a remote processing center, for example. It is noted that the building of an intelligent database already will have begun because a pilot user is selecting a route to share with other pilot users. In the example embodiment of FIG. 2, a pilot user enters:

Name for your Route 30 j,

Attraction name and/or type 30 k,

Destination airport's ICAO and/or FAA identifier 30 l,

Departure airport's ICAO and/or FAA identifier 30 m,

Route utilizing ICAO and/or FAA identifiers 30 n,

Aircraft tail number 30 o,

Comments on your route 30 p,

Destination State 30 q,

Departure State 30 r,

Aircraft type 30 s,

Altitude 30 t, and

Still or moving pictures to link 30 u.

In an alternative or in addition to this example embodiment, a pilot user may have a profile transmitted to database processor for storage to permit use of pre-stored pilot information based on a pilot user having logged into the system, which will obviate the need for a pilot user to re-enter his or her identifying information and confirmation that he or she is an airman registered with the FAA with piloting privileges, for example. In other embodiments, 30 f can display a place to enter pilot name and other related information, which can be for storage as login information or may be required each time a route is entered. In an example embodiment with a login feature, pilot name and other information, for example, may also be linked to an aircraft tail number, aircraft type and/or a home airport. Also, in alternate embodiments more or less information than depicted in entry form 30 f may be required to build a database at a database processor. For example, a unit 10 may display certain data entry boxes pre-filled, such as items 30 m, 30 o, 30 r and/or 30 s based on pilot user login, for example. Also, for example, attraction, destination airport, and route information may be imported to a database processor or a unit 10 from other electronic systems via a telecommunications network, or via a program residing on a unit 10. The parameter 30 j is a name selected by a pilot user for the route he or she desires to share with other users. In the example embodiment, 30 j is filled in with the name “Great pie trip!” The parameter 30 k is a name selected by a pilot user of the attraction at the destination airport he or she desires to share with other users. In the example embodiment, 30 k is filled in with the name “restaurant.” The parameters 301 and 30 m are identifiers for a departure airport and a destination airport selected by a pilot user for a route he or she desires to share with other users. In the example embodiment, 301 and 30 m are filled in with the coded identifiers “KPWK” and “174,” respectively. As is explained further below in connection with pilot user input route information, departure and destination airport parameters are filled in with airport identifier codes, codes which the present example embodiment utilizes to create a user friendly, easy to navigate database for a pilot user, for example.

The parameter 30 n is a route selected by a pilot user for a route he or she desires to share with other users. In the example embodiment, 30 n is filled in with the identifier codes “KPWK 3CK KLOT 174.” A route is selected for sharing and input by a pilot user that comprises one or more NAVAID identifier codes, airways and/or jetways. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a route selected for input may also include departure and destination airport identifiers as well as intermediate waypoints. To maintain accuracy of the one or more databases and to simplify use for a pilot user, an embodiment of the present invention takes advantage of location identifiers whereby pilots build up a database of airports and routes selected by them and utilizing these coded identifiers. As now explained, a location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for manned air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer programming, weather reports, and related services. In the present example embodiment, identifiers of the International Civil Aviation Organization (“ICAO”) are used, and where an airport does not have an ICAO identifier but only an FAA identifier, the latter identifier is used. E.g., http://en.wikipedia.org/wild/Location_identifier. The ICAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations located in the Quartier International of Montreal, Quebec, Canada that has codified principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport. The ICAO Council adopts standards and recommended practices concerning air navigation, its infrastructure, flight inspection, prevention of unlawful interference, and facilitation of border-crossing procedures for international civil aviation. Relevant to the present disclosure, the ICAO has established sets of 4-letter location indicators which are published in ICAO Publication 7910. These are used by air traffic control agencies to identify airports and by weather agencies to produce METAR weather reports. The first letter indicates the region; for example, K for the contiguous United States, C for Canada, E for northern Europe, R for the Asian Far East, and Y for Australia. Examples of ICAO location indicators are RPLL for Manila Ninoy Aquino Airport and KORD for Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. ICAO codes are used by air traffic control and airline operations for flight planning, for example. They differ from International Air Transport Association (“IATA”) codes, which are generally used for airline timetables, reservations, and baggage tags. For example, the IATA code for London's Heathrow Airport is LHR and its ICAO code is EGLL. Most non-pilot travelers usually see the IATA code on baggage tags and tickets and the ICAO code is used among other things by pilots, air traffic control and prior art flight-tracking services such as flightaware but not in the manner or arrangement of the present disclosure.

The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States utilizes an identifier that is a three-letter or four-letter alphanumeric code identifying United States airports. They replaced an old system that relied on plain language, teletype station identifiers, and weather reporting codes. For nearly all major airports, the letters are alphabetic three-letter codes, such as SFO for San Francisco International Airport. Minor airfields typically have a mix of alphabetic and numeric codes, such as 8N2 for Skydive Chicago Airport and 0B5 for Turners Falls Airport. Private airfields have a four-letter identifier, such as 1CA9 for Los Angeles County Fire Department Heliport. The system is designed to mesh with the Transport Canada Identifiers. Many FAA identifiers become four letter ICAO identifiers, for example, when a K is added to the beginning of the FAA identifier. For example, the FAA identifier for Indianapolis International Airport of “IND” becomes “KIND” as an ICAO identifier. The FAA is the authority for assigning three-letter identifiers (except those beginning with the letters N, W, Y, and Z), three and four character identifiers, and five-letter name codes for the United States and its jurisdictions. The Department of the Navy assigns three-letter identifiers beginning with the letter N for the exclusive use of that Department. Three-letter identifiers are assigned as radio call signs to aeronautical navigation aids; to airports with a manned air traffic control facility or navigational aid within airport boundary; to airports that receive scheduled route air carrier or military airlift service, and to airports designated by the United States Customs Service as Airports of Entry. Some of these identifiers are assigned to certain aviation weather reporting stations. Most one-number plus two-letter identifiers have been assigned to aviation weather reporting and observation stations and special-use locations. Some of these identifiers may be assigned to public-use landing facilities within the United States that do not meet requirements for identifiers in the three-letter series. The number is always in the first position of the three-character combination. Most one-letter plus two-number identifiers are assigned to public-use landing facilities within the United States that do not meet the requirements for identifiers in the three-letter series. Some of these identifiers are also assigned to aviation weather reporting stations. One-letter plus two-number identifiers are keyed by the alphabetical letter. The letter may appear in the first, middle or last position in the combination of three characters. When the letter signifies an Air Traffic Control Center's area, the assignment will not change if the Center's boundaries are realigned. Identifiers in this series, which could conflict with the Victor, Jet or colored airway numbers are not assigned. Two-letter plus two-number identifiers are assigned to private-use landing facilities in the United States that do not meet the requirements for three-character assignments and are keyed by the two-letter Post Office or supplemental abbreviation of the state with which they are associated. The two letter code appears in the first two, middle, or last two positions of the four character code. The use of the FAA identifier system in meteorology ended in 1996 when airways reporting code was replaced by METAR code. The METAR code is dependent wholly on the ICAO identifier system. For NAVAIDs, FAA location identifiers may be three or five lettered codes, for example, “OBK” for the VOR station of Northbrook, Ill. and “PAMME” for the middle marker identifier at Chicago Executive Airport for the ILS runway 16 approach.

Returning to the sample entry display 30 of FIG. 2, parameter 30 o is an aircraft tail number selected by a pilot user to share with other users the aircraft connected with the route and/or pilot user. In the example embodiment, 30 j is filled in with the name “N3059D.” Parameter 30 s is an aircraft type identifier selected by a pilot user for the route he or she desires to share with other users. In the example embodiment, 30 s is filled in with the FAA identifier “TOBA.” Parameter 30 p is comments selected by a pilot user for the route he or she desires to share with other users. In the example embodiment, 30 p is filled in with comments: “Be sure to check to see if MOA near KGUS is active. KGUS approach guys are very helpful. Restaurant cook will bake a pie for you while you eat lunch.” Parameters 30 q and 30 r are two-letter identifiers of the departure and destination state, respectively, selected by a pilot user for the route he or she desires to share with other users. In the example embodiment, 30 q and 30 r is filled in with “IL” and “OH”. Parameter 30 t is an altitude, for example highest altitude of a route, selected by a pilot user for the route he or she desires to share with other users. In the example embodiment, 30 t is filled in with a coded identifier “70” for an altitude of 7,000 feet above mean sea level. Parameter 30 u is an additional database field to permit a pilot user to link still and/or moving pictures to the route he or she desires to share with other users. In the example embodiment, 30 u a pilot user has used 30 u to upload in inflight video and photos of the attraction for pilot users to view. In addition, box 30 i is menu display of “All Routes” previously entered by pilot users, organized under menu items departure airports, destination airports, tail number, “NavFriend” pilot (a sample tradename selected for this example embodiment), and attraction, for Illinois in this example, wherein each menu item is selectable.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an example entry of route information by a pilot user. Utilizing a unit 10 a pilot user transmits a request to a remote processing center to initiate use of an electronic system for sharing route information with other pilot users, in this example to enter information for a route to share with other users. A remote processing center receives request from a unit 10 and displays content for identifying the pilot user, which request may be accomplished in a single or multiple transmissions to and responses from a remote processing center. In the present example, a registered pilot user using a unit 10 transmits a request for content from a remote processing center, a remote processing center receives the request and causes a display to be transmitted to the unit 10, the registered pilot user enters identifying information which unit 10 transmits to a remote processing center which it receives and is checked by one or more database processers to confirm pilot user name, password. If a check fails, error content is sent to unit 10 for a user to reattempt identification. If a check passes, remote processing center transmits the pilot user's information, and if desired a pilot user's “home” content, to a unit 10 for display. Unit 10, for example, can display a pilot user's profile information, including name, aircraft type, aircraft tail number, a list of selectable IACO identifiers of departure and/or destination airports, a list of tail numbers, e.g., of friends' aircraft, favorite aircraft, aircraft flown, and/or a list of other pilot user friends. Unit 10 also can display popular routes for the day, week, month, six months, etc., airport use statistics, popular destination airports, attractions, departure airports, for the day, month, year, etc., pilot favorites, alerts for desired destinations or desired routes of a pilot user (for example requested via a navigation board), a pilot user's logbook of routes flown over a certain period of time or during the lifetime as a registered user, a message board, for example. Alerts or other timely or updated route, attraction or other information can be transmitted by push notification from a remote processing center, e.g., upon meeting certain pilot user conditions, or transmitted to a unit 10 in response to entry of a request for such type information, for example. In an alternative embodiment, a request for content from non-registered pilot user is transmitted from a unit 10 to a remote processing center which is received and causes a display to be transmitted to the unit 10, the non-registered pilot user enters a pilot registration number and identifying information such as a new username and password which unit 10 transmits to a remote processing center which it receives, and cross-checks the registration against one or more FAA (or a foreign registry if applicable) registered airmen databases to confirm the information transmitted from unit 10 in fact identifies an airman registered with a governmental authority. If the check fails, error content is sent to unit 10 for a user to reattempt identification. If the check passes, the new pilot user is entered into and organized into the one or more databases of database processor, and the remote processing center transmits the pilot user's information, and if desired a pilot user's home content, to a unit 10 for display. Remote processing center then receives a request from unit 10 for share route content to display, which is transmitted from a remote processing center to unit 10 to display. A pilot user then inputs data to complete a share route form display, for example as described for FIG. 2, which is transmitted from unit 10 to a remote processing center, which receives route parameters and cross checks information against known airport, navaid, waypoint, airway, and jetway codes, for example, to verify validity of transmitted codes for entry into a database of database processor. If not verified, remote processing center transmits error data or an error message to unit 10, and if verified, remote processing center transmits completed route content, e.g., confirmation of entry, and a map with completed waypoints, departure and destination to display to unit 10, in this example. As discussed elsewhere, information is entered, transferred, stored at a remote processing center, and information includes ICAO identifier, comments, hazards, etc., for example. It is noted that the foregoing requests to and transmissions of content from a remote processing center can each occur in one or multiple requests and transmissions, or fewer overall requests and transmissions may be utilized, or other means for accomplishing content requests and transmissions, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

In the present example embodiment, by relying on pilot users' selective entry of desired route information for public viewing and discussion, rather than a system that indiscriminately gathers for display routes for all tracked flights, e.g., all IFR and/or VFR tracked flights, regardless of whether selected for sharing, from another government or commercial system while omitting other VFR flights, for example, allows for the building of a more selective and useful database of route information for other pilot users. This result in turn will encourage more useful data entry resulting in a more useful, more relevant and user friendly route information system for pilot users, for example. In addition to aspects of the present example that provides pilot users advantages in the way relevant route information is collected from pilot users, e.g., departure, destination and route information selected for entry and viewing by such pilot users rather than en masse collection for a database, another aspect of the present example allows a pilot user to access a database tailored either to his or her personal, e.g., local, preferences, while at the same time permitting a pilot user to discover and select new distant (or even nearby) airport destinations and/or attractions in a user friendly display interface. For example, to assist a pilot user is organization of a portal or displays to permit a pilot user access to a database of such route information as further explained in an example below.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views of displays of a unit 10 for a pilot user to select desired information from an intelligent, e.g., an organized and relevant, database according to an example embodiment of the present invention. In an example of the present disclosure, selection can be organized by various selectable items: country, state, province, destination airports, departure airports, aircraft tail numbers, pilot user, and/or attraction, for example. Investigation and study of needed data for a pilot user and different ways to implement a useful display of database information indicate that certain items can present more user friendly starting points for selection than others. For example, according to the 2011-2015 National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, released by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, there were over 19,700 airports in the United States. Of these, 5,170 airports are open to the general public with 503 airports offering commercial service. The majority of public airports (2,829) are designated as reliever or general aviation airports versus commercial service. E.g., www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national transportation statistics/html/table_01_03.html. Listing all of these airports in a single display is not user friendly. Only those deemed relevant for selection by pilot users for entry of route information will become part of the database, or sub-database for example. For example, for the United States, there are far fewer states and territories than airports. From study and observation, it was determined that, contrary to the arrangement of prior art systems, most general aviation pilots originate flight planning from a “home” airport, and complete flights within the state of the home airport, or one or two states surrounding such state, for example. These pilots will be interested in their home airport, and other pilot friends, and not necessarily other airports as departure points, nor all other destination airports, for example. Pilots, however, desire to plan flights to new destinations, including destinations with attractions at distant airports, for example. These observations required study and investigation, and were not obvious without experimentation into different arrangements and layouts of FAA data types. The non-obviousness of these insights is evidenced by the failure of current systems to provide a user-friendly interface or display to select useful departure or destination information for a pilot, for example, despite commercial availability to pilots for multiple years. FIG. 4 depicts an another example display 40 for selectable countries including the United States with a display 40 a of an easy to use menu of selectable items on one side, e.g., items 40 f, and a welcome display 40 b with selectable items on the other. Selectable items in this example include those shown in 40 a and 40 b, for example, with 40 a displaying an easy to use menu for accessing routes from a remote processing center, e.g. 40 f and associated items 40 g, routes that have been selected for entry into a database at a remote processing center. Items 40 g, for example, are utilized for scrolling through selectable items menu 40 f, for example, in a manner as known to those skilled in the art, and such menu may be used in other displays. When the “United States of America” from 40 f in display 40 a is selected by a pilot user utilizing a unit 10, a menu of selectable states and territories 40 c appears toward the top of the display, for example. Welcome display 40 b includes selectable items for popular routes and featured routes, for example. Also included in 40 b is an option to search for routes, e.g., using key words and/or Boolean operators in lieu of or in addition to use of the selectable menu items of display 40 a, for example. Also included is a welcome message, identification of the pilot user, instructions on use of the menu 40 a as will be known to those skilled in the art, a selectable item for a legal disclaimer, and statistics of routes entered into the database and number of pilot users currently using the system. Display 40 b also can include a selectable menu item for a pilot user's other pilot users that he or she has included in a personalized list of aircraft and/or other pilots of which he or she wishes to keep informed.

FIG. 5 depicts an example display 50 of a unit 10 after a pilot user selects selectable menu item for Illinois in 40 c. As shown in the example a menu of selectable items 50 a is displayed. A selection of one of these selectable items can cause a list of pilot user routes to display according the name of the selectable item. The selectable item “Attractions,” for example, can display a list of attractions such as restaurants or air shows, where an attraction is associated with a route entered by a pilot user and/or with a tail number, etc. A number next to the selectable item can indicate the number of available pilot user routes to view associated with each selectable item, for example “(405)” for Destination airports. The selectable item “Destination airports,” or the other selectable items, may be limited to pilot user routes that are associated only with a particular higher menu item, e.g., only those in Illinois, or other parameter to make the selectable items more user friendly and ease searching of routes and other information. FIG. 6 depicts an example display of a unit 10 after a pilot user selects selectable menu item for departure airports from menu 50 a below item Illinois. For all selectable items other forms of selection in other example embodiments may be utilized than those depicted in these example embodiments, for example drop down menus, text boxes, icons, radio buttons and/or dials, or a combination thereof. FIG. 6 shows menu 60 a under “Departure airports” and still shows other menu items 60 b. FIG. 6's departure airports are identified by FAA and/or IACO codes, for example, 10C, KPWK, etc., with a number of pilot user routes depicted next to a departure airport identifier code. Not all airports of Illinois are listed under the selectable item “Departure airports (173, 2 New).” Those departure airports that are included for selection, as with airports under other selectable menu items, are dependent on whether a pilot user has transmitted a route to database at remote processing center via telecommunications network for sharing with other pilot users, for example. In this manner, an easy to use, manageable menu or accessible list is available to a pilot user. Also, the number of departure airports, or other menu items, may be limited to one or a few to simplify user access to routes, e.g., if displayed on a small handheld device, such as a mobile phone. The destination airports, aircraft tail numbers, pilots, and attractions included in database for selection under selectable items 60 b are dependent on whether a pilot user has transmitted a route to database at remote processing center via telecommunications network for sharing with other pilot users, for example.

FIG. 7 depicts an example display of a unit 10 after a pilot user selects selectable menu item for departure airport KPWK below item Departure airports. For example, a scrollable list 70 a of available routes listed by name can be displayed. Available viewable routes, for example those displayed, have been selected for entry (and for viewing by other pilot users, e.g.) by pilot users and entered into a database at a remote processing center of an example embodiment system. Up and down controls 70 b are displayed for route scrolling, for example, and airport “KPRG (1)” is still viewable along with associated up and down controls for departure airports. Also displayed are a number of notes, or message replies, of other pilot users commenting on a pilot user route, for example “(32 Notes)” next to “Airventure 2013.” This feature permits interactive communication between pilot users to permit discussion of routes in database to assist a pilot's knowledge of a route and/or to permit social discussion of routes, if desired. Features or icons to permit real time visual, textual, and/or audio communication, messaging between users over telecommunications network can be integrated into a display 40, 50, 60, 70, etc. or in units 10. The number of routes or notes available from a given display can be limited if desired. For example, “Destination airports (405)” in 60 b can be limited to destination airports in Illinois only, or to destination airports for routes departing from an airport in Illinois, or limited to destination airports departing from KPWK, e.g., once KPWK is selected, or combination thereof. In addition, another database retrieval feature may be incorporated into a display, for example display 70, where available routes can be filtered and/or displayed dependent on certain parameters relevant to a pilot user, such as by aircraft type (e.g., piston, twin, turbine, etc.), altitude, cruise speed, etc., for example. Also, a rating by users can be displayed, such as a number of stars to indicate, e.g., popularity of a route.

FIG. 8 depicts an example display of a unit 10 after a pilot user selects selectable item for “Great pie trip!” from menu 70 a below item departure airport KPWK. The selectable item from menu 70 a expands to show in display 40 a, in this example, three entries for “Great pie trip!” and the identity of pilot user who entered the route, as well as comments and/or replies to a route and identity of pilot users who have made comments and/or replies, and related dates. FIG. 8 illustrates example content of a route available for viewing by a pilot user via searching for a route based on desired parameters, and/or via pilot user selection through selectable menu items, in this example user selection of the first entry for “Great pie trip!” A focus of FIG. 8's example display information is route data utilizing FAA coded identifiers. By building an intelligent database, this coded information can be used to correlate the actual route on a copy of an aviation map, for example an aviation map authorized for navigation, such as an FAA authorized VFR Sectional Chart, WAC, or IFR Low Airways Chart. Sample display 80 includes the example route drawn on a VFR Sectional Chart with course indicators. Selectable menu items can be included to permit display of alternative charts, e.g., a WAC, IFR low airways, World low, World high, etc. In an alternative embodiment, route graphics can be depicted in separate displays if desired. Displays are controllable, e.g., to allow enlarging, zooming or panning of an image. Additional map images, e.g., as thumbnail images, can be depicted in display 80, for example an additional image of the departure airport area and destination airport and area, respectively. In addition, route altitude and terrain data can be utilized to display the route on a three dimensional representation of the route and terrain enroute. Weather information, for example, satellite images, radar, METARs, ceiling, and other weather information, can be displayed as well, separately or along a desired route. The foregoing also can be displayed using a unit 10 via a three dimensional, e.g., holographic, view for ease of viewing. Also included and/or depicted can be airport FBOs, useful radio frequencies, for example by using the ICAO and/or FAA coded identifier to collect airport facility directory information. A number of times a route is viewed by pilot users also is displayed. In addition, ICAO codes can be received and processed by same or another remote processing center to generate a route or course line on a chart such as a VFR sectional chart. The route or course line is available for viewing by the user or pilot who entered the navigation information and by other users or pilot users.

FIG. 8 depicts the route, comments, etc. entered by a pilot user; however, comments and/or replies of other pilot users can also be accessed via display 80, for example, by scrolling display 40 b to reveal replies and/or comments on a route that are entered by pilot users after entry of the route in a database. If desired, the route and replies may be presented on one display. A pilot user's route for a day's flight can be linked to one or more messages of that pilot user. For example, after a pilot user enters a route utilizing a unit 10 and telecommunications network transmitting to database at a remote processing center, database processor is arranged to transmit a message, e.g., an alert, via telecommunications network, to one or more units 10 to notify a pilot user that a route is available for viewing. Such alerts can be arranged for transmission based on whether a pilot user has selected this option e.g., in response to a wish list or query about a destination or route or in connection with a list of pilot user friends, or selected for a pilot user. The pilot user's route is also linked to the pilot's profile. ICAO codes selected by the pilot or user can be received and processed by same or another remote processing center to generate a route or course line on a chart such as a VFR sectional chart in electronic form. Such a system creates a useful and interactive means for a group of pilots to each collect route, waypoint, information about a personal flight, transfer such information to a remote processing center, have such information be processed to allow linking of information to a route, have such information be processed to allow a graphical display of such route which is linked to such route and the profile of the pilot that provided the route information, store such information, allow other pilots to access such route information, and allow other pilots to comment on such route information. To avoid overloading the available selectable items associate with routes for a pilot user, an example system can limit menu results from a database, for example, to a period of time, e.g., a day, week, six months, one year, two years, etc., or a number of routes, or narrow search results. In addition, as depicted in menu 40 d, a pilot user can access a pilot user's personal logbook that presents a display to access routes, for example all routes, entered by a pilot user into a database at a remote processing center utilizing a unit 10. If desired, a database may be additionally organized to permit a pilot user to access other pilot users' route, flight, and/or logbook, etc. utilizing a unit 10, for example via a selectable item “My NavFriends” in menu 40 d, e.g., along with alerts. Also displayed in display 40 b is a group of selectable items 80 b for a pilot user to access additional features of a database accessible from a remote processing center. COMMENT allows a pilot user to submit a public comment to a route or related information. RATE allows a pilot user to rate a route and/or attraction based on personal, subjective, or objective parameters. FLAG allows a pilot user to designate a route for special attention, e.g., for viewing at a later time. A list of such routes could be created for a pilot user. WISH LIST allows a pilot user to create a query regarding one or more desired routes by a pilot user, where the one or more queries is publicly available for comment and/or reply by other pilot users and/or to request posting of, e.g. of a flown route by another pilot user. COPY allows a pilot user to copy a route, and related information if desired, to another program or the same or another unit 10, or to a personal computing device. BRIEF allows a pilot user to obtain a weather briefing, e.g., FAA standard brief, for a route. REPLY allows a pilot user to submit a reply to a route in database, e.g., to submit comments, questions, or supplemental information in connection with a route. SHARE allows a pilot user to select an option to share his or her routes with other pilot users, e.g., via alerts. HAZARD allows a pilot user to view potential flight hazards along a route and/or to identify additional hazards. NAVFRIENDS allows a pilot user to view a list of other pilot users he or she desires to share routes and/or view routes. FILE allows a pilot user to file a route as part of a flight plan with a governmental agency, e.g., the FAA. Relatedly, a route can be exported to another electronic system for use by that system, e.g., ForeFlight, and then if desired filing with a governmental agency such as the FAA. TER/OVERLAY allows a pilot user to display on the same or different display TFRs on a chart with route. PERSONAL MESSAGE allows a pilot user to send a non-public message to another pilot user, e.g., via text, video, photo, email, vmail, etc. SOCIAL MEDIA POST allows a pilot user to link his or her route information, e.g., moving, still pictures, etc. to a social media system such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. AMEND/ADD/UPDATE allows a pilot user to update and correct a previously transmitted route and related information. AFD allows a pilot user to retrieve information found in a government authorized Airport Facility Directory, such as control tower and other frequencies, runway data FBO information, etc. WEATHER/OVERLAY allows a pilot user to overlay weather information, e.g., radar, winds aloft, cloud cover, ceiling, temperatures, AIRMETS, SIGMENTS, etc. NOTAMS allows a pilot user to display FAA notices to airmen, etc. Display 80 also includes selectable items 80 c, in this example PHOTOS, NAVFRIEND PILOT PROFILE, PILOT, and AIRCRAFT.

Example embodiments of the present disclosure, with arranged displays, selectable items, and database, for example, allows for a compact, easy to use system, and unlike any known prior art system the disclosure concerns a database created, e.g., by selective input of routes by other pilot user that are publicly accessible on a local unit of a pilot user. Pilot users want to know who is flying from his or her home airport, and to what interesting destinations other pilots are flying. Example embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, utilizes flight plan information entered by pilots for viewing, discussion, and comment by other pilots and pilot user comments on route, attraction, etc. linked to a single display session, and unlike any known prior art system is organized in a useful way, for example, a request for flights from or to an airport will not indiscriminately show every filed and activated IFR flight plans for that airport. Also, example embodiments permit sorting of routes and display of routes based on pilot identification, and do not require a user to be permitted by the FAA to file IFR plans on behalf of a pilot. Example embodiments are directed to informing pilot users of destinations, attractions, or encouraging pilot users to share route information for discussion and review by other pilot users. In example embodiments of the present disclosure routes also may be organized by most recent entry or, e.g., in alphanumeric order. Pilot users may move back and forth between displays. Pilot users may cross reference routes with other routes. Displays of example embodiments may require scrolling to be visible on one display interface, e.g., of a compact device such as a mobile telephone. For example, on a compact device at least top portion of an All NavFriend Routes menu will remain displayed while a route and related information are viewed in an adjacent display. In example embodiments other pilot users can: 1) view routes, 2) can comment on other pilot user routes or respond to comments on their own routes entered for sharing, 3) can communicate with other user pilots, reply to comments, etc., and 4) pilot users can rate entered routes. In example embodiments, in addition to or in lieu of selectable items menus, a user can also search by destination airport and departure airport, or other parameters such as tail number, pilot identification, attraction, etc., via key word, code, Boolean, or other search features. In addition, in example embodiments routes may be organized by profile information of pilot user, such as home airport of pilot, pilot certificate or rating of pilot, e.g., commercial, instrument rating, tail wheel, single-engine-land, category and class of aircraft. It is noted that reference to the tradename “NavFriend” in this disclosure should not be read to be limiting the present disclosure, invention, or claims to any commercial embodiment later implemented.

FIG. 9 depicts an example display of a unit 10. A remote processing center has information relating to multiple users or pilots who have transferred profile information to a remote processing center via one or more units 10 and a telecommunications network. Profile information of a pilot user includes, for example, pilot's name, pilot's home airport, and one or more tail numbers associated with a pilot user. Display 90 shows an example display after a pilot user selects “My NavFriends” in menu of selectable items 40 d, where transmitted from remote processing center is a list of pilots, which is a subset of pilots in database of database processor at remote processing center, for example. Likewise, in display 90 a is a list of tail numbers and airports, which is a subset of tail numbers and airports, respectively, in database of database processor at remote processing center, for example. Pilot users, for example, can determine what items will display in display 90 a based on selection of certain parameters. For example, a pilot user can invite other pilot users to be displayed on his or her unit 10, or be invited to join another pilot user's “My NavFriends” menu. Associated data parameters, such as tail number and airport, can be linked with a pilot name when selected, or other data parameters displayed, such as tail numbers or airports, can be independent and selected separately for display along with another parameter such as a pilot's name. In other embodiments directed to other types of selectable items, items selected for display 90, e.g., automobile owner, owner's home, plate number, can be similarly selected for display. The disclosure and structures of the present invention and example embodiments can be directed to and use as substitutes selectable items including any association along the lines of person, equipment operated, equipment identification, home location, and/or area of operation, for example, biker, bicycle identification, home, area or route of use parameters, or mobile phone user, phone identification, home, area or route of use parameters, etc.

Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, additions, and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and/or as defined by the appended claims. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present disclosure, manufacture, systems, apparatus, processes, steps, devices, or means presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, one or more of the appended claims can include within their scope such systems, apparatus, processes, steps, devices, or means. 

1. An electronic system for providing a pilot user access to a useable database of selectable items for a user for flight planning or aircraft route guidance, including a remote processing center, wherein said remote processing center comprises: A. a network interface operable to connect said remote processing center to a telecommunications network, wherein a said telecommunications network is operable to permit wireless communication of data; B. rewritable storage, wherein said rewritable storage is programmable with one or more databases of user selectable items by downloading information to said storage in response to one or more transmitted instructions, transmitted via said network interface, wherein each of a plurality of said user selectable items are for retention by said rewritable storage for later access and selection from by a plurality of pilot users; C. a database processor, which includes processing circuitry; said remote processing center including further limitations, wherein, D. said remote processing center is operable to communicate with a portable data entry unit operable by a pilot user in and away from a pilot user's home; said data entry unit including: (i) one or more sensors operable by a user to input commands and information and to select information; (ii) said sensor coupled to a wireless communications interface operable to transmit command or data signals, said wireless communications interface operable to connect said data entry unit to a telecommunications network via said antenna; (iii) a display screen coupled to said sensor to display a plurality of user selectable items in response to input to said data entry unit via a said sensor; and (iv) wherein a said data entry unit is configured to permit a pilot user to transmit information related to one or more routes of flight to said remote processing center for inclusion in said one or more databases, and to request and receive for viewing and selection from said remote processing center a plurality of user selectable items related to one or more routes of flight from said one or more databases; E. said remote processing center is operable to communicate with a plurality of said portable data entry units; F. said one or more databases of said rewritable storage include a plurality of user selectable items related to a route of flight which are built up via information transmitted to said remote processing center from a plurality of said portable data entry units operable by pilot users, wherein said information is transmitted from said portable data entry units for inclusion in said one or more databases and to permit sharing with and comment from other pilot users for purposes of flight planning; G. wherein a said portable data entry unit is operable by a pilot user to select at least the following information related to a route of flight for transmission to said remote processing center to build up a plurality of user selectable items for one or more databases at said remote processing center for access by other pilot users from said remote processing center: (i) a departure airport for said route of flight, including identifier code information; (ii) a destination airport for said route of flight, including identifier code information; (iii) one or more waypoints between a said departure airport and a said destination airport for said route of flight, if a pilot user includes one or more said waypoints for said route of flight; (iv) one or more altitudes for said route of flight; (v) an aircraft type, and an identifier for an aircraft; and (vi) one or more comments of a pilot user relating to a said route of flight.
 2. An electronic system for providing a pilot user access to a useable database of selectable items for a user for flight planning or aircraft route guidance, including a remote processing center according to claim 1, wherein a said portable data entry unit is operable by a pilot user, (i) to access said one or more databases of said rewritable storage and to select a name or user name of another pilot user of a said portable data entry unit, and (ii) to display a list of routes of flight associated with said name or user name of another pilot user, and to display a plurality of user selectable items related a said list of routes of flight, wherein a said list of routes of flight includes route information transmitted from a said portable data entry unit operable by said another pilot user for inclusion in said one or more databases for sharing with other pilot users. 